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Column: Egyptian gays jailed A 15-year-old Egyptian youth was sentenced on Sept. 19 to three years in prison for "homosexuality" and "debauchery," the first verdict to come out of the arrest of 52 men last May in a police raid at a Cairo riverboat club, a popular gay gathering place. Though there is no law against homosexuality in Egypt, and all the men except two were charged with misdemeanor offenses, they were nonetheless brought before the Emergency State Security Court usually reserved for those who have offended "national security." There is no possible appeal. The media has whipped up homophobia together with anti-west sentiments by publishing articles linking gays to "Zionism," and headlines blaring "Become a pervert to please Uncle Sam." Extremist religious commentators have stated that Islam requires the execution of gays. Unfortunately, mainstream Egyptian human rights organizations have denied support to the men on trial. Protests against the trials were held on Aug. 15 in New York, San Francisco and Geneva, and international support has been organized by Al-Fatiha and other gay and lesbian organizations. For more information on the trial, see www.GayEgypt.com, and Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org. |
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